Iraqi adjourns session after disagreements over Eid al-Ghadir holiday, education law

Shafaq News/ Iraq's parliament on Tuesday failed to progress through its regular 23 session this term due to disagreements over a proposed public holiday for Eid al-Ghadir.

The session, chaired by Acting Speaker Muhsen al-Mandlawi, hit a wall after Shiite lawmakers clashed over the Eid al-Ghadir legislation. A parliamentary source, speaking to Shafaq News Agency on condition of anonymity, revealed that some Shiite legislators objected to the new law, arguing that a government-drafted "Official Holidays Law" already existed. They saw no need for a separate Eid al-Ghadir holiday act.

Eid al-Ghadir, a major religious occasion for Shiite Muslims, commemorates a sermon delivered by Prophet Muhammad where they believe he designated Imam Ali as his successor. The proposal for the new holiday law came from Lawmaker Burhan al-Maamouri on April 24, answering a call made by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Kurdish lawmakers had their share of the scene today after they reportedly took issue with the parliamentary Higher Education Committee's exclusion of the Kurdistan Region from the purview of a proposed amendment to Law 67. "The amendment seeks to expand university faculty and department financial awards to include the top ten graduates," the source said without revealing further details.